Joan Wick
by pkpulakkmr
Summary: A gender-flip retelling of the John Wick movie. Joan Wick was an extremely accomplished assassin, racking up a body count of up to the triple digits by the time she hit her 20s. But after falling in love, and losing the man who showed her how her life could be so much more, Joan has chosen to devote her life to protecting everything she and her deceased husband had built together.
1. Chapter 1

The sun shone brightly as the rain ceased, allowing Joan to exit her car without her umbrella on her. She calmly walked over to the cemetery, a forlorn smile on her face. But even though the experience would be painful, she knew she'd have to go through with it. She needed to, in order to preserve the precious humanity he had gifted to her.

After all, Joan Wick was visiting the grave of the man she had loved more than anyone else in the world.

She finally made her way to the tombstone and bent down, facing the name written on the plaque: "Michael Wick".

"Hey." she began, doing her best to show him a bright smile "It's been a while, hasn't it, Michael?"

It had taken longer for her to get to this point than she had hoped. Just a year ago, when she'd laid him to rest with her mentor, Yamano Suzuki by her side, Joan had promised to visit him every single day. But it was a promise she had failed miserably in keeping.

She had wondered why. Was it perhaps that he was wrong about her? Maybe he did make a mistake in falling for the demon that she was. Maybe she never truly loved him to begin with.

But after a year of trying and failing to return to the monster she once was, Joan knew the truth. She was afraid. She was afraid that with him gone, there would be nothing left to save her. Nothing left to hold back the beast that lurked inside her. But she was wrong. She was so glad she was wrong. He had saved her. By simply being there for her, and getting her a dog, he had shown her that it was possible for her to get away from it all. To start anew as a normal person, or perhaps, even a good person.

It kind of amazed her, really. Being trained from childhood to become a ruthless assassin, her body count spiraling into the triple digits by the time she'd reached her 20s.

But now, at age 27, she had put a stop to all of that. Simply because she met him. She met him, and he showed her that there was more to her than the demon she used to be. That she didn't have to be a cold-blooded gun for hire if she didn't want to be. And she didn't. All she wanted was to be with him. All she wanted was to become the kind of normal, wholesome woman who could protect him and care for him forever.

"It's too bad it didn't last, isn't it?" she continued, her voice cracking.

Cancer. Cancer had robbed her of her beloved Michael just two years after they'd gotten married. But right until the end, he refused to give up on her.

Did they fight? Sure. Did they resent each other? Definitely. But at no point did they ever give up on each other. At no point did they ever entertain the notion that things would have been better off had they never met. Because it simply wasn't true.

"I'll always remember what you said, Michael." Joan continued. "I know you'll always be with me. You'll always be watching over me. So I'll do the best I can. I'll protect our home, and Cindy, and I'll lead an honest life. Thank you for showing me how wonderful life could be. Thank you for saving me. I love you."

Joan planted a light kiss on the tombstone, and laid another bouquet next to where he was buried. She then got back into her car, and drove back home.

The moment she opened the front door to her modest bungalow, her pet puppy, a terrier named Cindy, rushed up to her. She eagerly held her in her arms, and closed her eyes. They'd bought Cindy together soon after moving in with each other. Michael had always said that this would be the beginning of their family. That with this foundation, they could build their own future together.

Even at his deathbed, Michael's final wish to her was that she not give up. He even permitted her to find another man in due time, so long as she protected and cared for him as she had for Michael. Joan wasn't ready to take that step yet, but perhaps one day she would. One day, she could carry on his memory by falling in love all over again, and living a quiet, happy life in the suburbs.

She had even made peace with the demon inside her, the demon who had been fed and nurtured since her life began. A more superficial woman would have perhaps wanted to exorcise such a horrific beast from her being entirely, but Joan knew better. She could not forget the lessons her days as a killer had taught her. The world was an unsafe place, and there was no end to the kinds of people who would destroy her if she let them. So far from destroying her inner beast, she chose to re-purpose it. As long as all was well, as long as everyone around her left her in peace, she would allow her inner demon to sleep. But the moment someone threatened her peace, the moment someone tried to destroy her, or Cindy, or anything she and Michael had built together, she would awaken that beast.

And then she would unleash her inner killer, not stopping for even a second, until everything that threatened her and the life she had built was vanquished.


	2. Chapter 2

"Alright, how about these ones?" she asked.

"Ah, yes, they would fit perfectly." he replied. Soon afterwards, the exchange was complete, and the man walked off with his bouquet.

Joan and Michael had opened up a flower shop together soon after she left her career as an assassin behind. It wasn't exactly necessary from a financial standpoint. Joan's career as an assassin had left her with enough money to last her for the rest of her life, not to mention that Michael himself came from a well-to-do family. No, the main reason they'd opened up this flower shop was to start making an honest living and get away from their treacherous and murderous pasts. With the demise of her beloved, Joan had begun working harder than ever to ensure that _J &M's Boutiques _remained open for business.

No matter what problems she faced, Joan would do anything to protect the life she had built together with him.

And so she worked in earnest, doing everything she could to cater to her customers' wishes. She had even begun paying close attention to the supply side of things, ensuring that only the most fresh, fragrant flowers were put on sale, something that she had largely delegated to Michael back when he was alive.

Nonetheless, another honest day at work went off without a hitch, and Joan got into her car.

She decided to make a brief pit stop at Richard's, an auto mechanic who was the only person other than Michael to know full well what her past was like. But everyone else had heard the rumors, and knew better than to cross her.

Or at least, that's what she had thought until that day.

When she drove over to Richard's shop, she found a note saying that he'd gone out for lunch. She didn't mind. She'd just park her car and wait until he returned.

It was at that point that they showed up.

A bunch of rowdy young men and women were talking loudly to one another, when one of them saw her and stopped.

Joan was quite used to this. She was, in fact, a very attractive woman, something that had proved to be of immeasurable benefit during her assassination missions. Quiet and effective methods of killing, such as poisoning, entrapment, or even strangulation, were much easier to accomplish when the target took an automatic interest in her due to her appearance. But that was all in the past.

"Oh, hey there, miss." said the woman, the apparent leader of the group. She appeared to be Asian, possibly of Japanese ethnicity, if Joan's knowledge hadn't gone rusty. "And what might you be doing on this fine day?"

Her tone was both lecherous and condescending. She clearly saw her as a prize to be won, or a threat to be put into place. Well, it wasn't the first time she'd encountered such people, though it certainly would be easier to deal with them had Michael been around, or if they'd known who she really was.

Deciding to remain polite, Joan said "Well, a friend of mine works at this place. I'm just waiting for him to show up so that he can do some maintenance on my car."

The woman took one look at the car, and her face lit up in a greedy smile. "Is that a Chevy?" she said, approaching the car, "Looks like an Impala, if my memory serves correctly."

"It is." Joan replied.

"What year? '70?" the woman asked.

"67." Joan replied, deciding to leave for the time being.

"Ah, I see." the woman said as she watched Joan get into the car. "Oh come on, don't leave so soon." she continued in mock disappointment.

"Well, I have other places to be." Joan replied, inserting the key into the ignition.

"But you haven't even told me your asking price." the woman persisted, bending down and looking through the car window.

"Asking price? For what, the car?" Joan said, befuddled.

"Uh, yeah. I want it." the woman said, as if that much should have been patently obvious.

"It's not for sale." Joan replied, a hint of annoyance creeping into her tone.

"Are you sure about that?" the woman retorted, her tone instantly turning menacing. It was at this point that Cindy jumped up from her spot in the passenger seat. "And you have a dog to, huh? Isn't that nice?"

"Well, if you want one of your own, you're not getting it from me." Joan said, her voice now cold and firm. And with that, she drove away.

A feeling of unease stuck with Joan for the rest of the day as she went about her household chores and cared for Cindy. However, once she saw a picture of her and Michael together, she calmed down significantly. She would not, could not, lose herself to her paranoia. She had promised him. She had promised him she wouldn't give up. That she'd live a long, happy life like he wanted her too on his deathbed. She could not let everything he'd done go to waste.

But of course, she wasn't the only one capable of destroying everything they had built together.


	3. Chapter 3

That night, Cindy was agitated.

She kept barking out loud, incessantly.

It wasn't normally like this. Normally, Cindy would fall asleep well before Joan would. Her company actually helped Joan sleep peacefully, helped allay the nightmares. This time, however, it was the complete opposite.

Joan wondered what had gotten Cindy all worked up. "You want to go potty?" she said to the dog.

However, in response, Cindy ran downstairs. And soon afterwards, Joan could hear footsteps around the house.

 _Oh no._ Joan quickly rushed downstairs, terrified of the ugly possibility that had just reared its head. As soon as she did, she felt a sharp pain at the back of her head and collapsed.

" _Konbanwa_ _, ojou-san."_ a woman's voice rang out, followed by someone kicking Joan's teeth in.

It took a while for her vision to clear, but once it did, she saw _her._ The ringleader of this home invasion. It was the same woman. The same one who asked about...

"Have you found the car keys yet?" she said in English to one of her lackeys.

The lackeys were all masked. She wasn't. Because she wanted Joan to know. She wanted to etch this day into her very memory.

"Not yet." the man said.

"Hurry it up, then. Or don't. Either way's fine." she said, her lips curling into a sadistic smile. "Oh, Akemi, do you mind bringing that dog over?"

Another lackey handed a dog...a dog? A...

"Cindy!" Joan screamed, trying to get up. A swift boot to the head kept her down.

"Ah, this was the dog that was with you, right?" the leader said. "Now, I'm already going to be taking your car, but..." her expression turned contemplative for a moment.

And then, it twisted into a vicious smile, "But maybe that's not enough to show you the consequences of defying me."

She put her hand into her pocket. She pulled out a gun. She had a gun!

"What...what are you...?!" Joan screamed.

"Hahahahaha!" the woman laughed, clearly ecstatic at the sight of Joan's horrified face. "Ah, yes, she must be so precious to you. I wonder what would happen if I just..." she brought the gun to Cindy's head.

"No, no don't you dare!" Joan screamed her lungs out.

"Oh, you pitiful little bitch!" the robber shot back. "I'll give you a very basic lesson in human nature right now." she tightened her grip on Cindy. "Telling people like me not to do something..."

A gunshot. Blood. The blood of Cindy. Her limp body dropped to the floor. The blood staining the murderer's face, who isn't fazed in the least. "...only makes us want to do it that much more."

She smiled. She smiled. She broke into her home, killed her dog, and she smiled.

She smiled. She smiled. _She smiled. She smiled._

She smiled. That monster. That human piece of shit. That abomination. She smiled. She smiled! She smiled! _SHE SMILED AFTER TAKING EVERYTHING AWAY FROM ME!_

 _"_ Oh?" the woman said, her expression changing into one of genuine curiosity. "Ah, you're looking at me like I'm a monster, right? Like I'm dirty, ugly?"

She went over to Joan, who was still helplessly lying, pinned down. "But see, Joan. In spite of what you think of me, I'm still beautiful. You have no idea how many men keep chasing me every single day."

A giggle. Then, "And I'll go right back to that life after I'm done here, while you will spend the rest of your life all alone and in fear of me. That's the difference between the elite like me, and the trash like you."

Yes. She was beautiful. Even with Cindy's blood all over her face, Joan could still see it. She had no trouble believing that men chased her every day.

And it wasn't fair that she be allowed to go back to that life. Joan wouldn't let her. Not after everything she'd done.

"Found it!" said one of the lackeys, ostentatiously juggling the keys of her Impala.

"Ah, my work here is done, _ojou-san."_ the woman said. "Sleep tight now."

A sharp blow to the head, and Joan lost consciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

Richard looked over at Ayako Mitsurugi with a blank expression.

Ayako had just arrived at his shop with a car. She wanted him to change up the license plates and forge a new registration for it. Something he usually did without question, as was his code. But this time, he could not stick by it. Not after what she had just done.

"You're turning us away?" she said, shocked and offended by his, admittedly, unexpected response.

"Yes, I am. There are very few limits to the kind of jobs I'm willing to take, and unfortunately, you have just crossed them." he replied firmly.

"Oh fuck you." Ayako said, closing the distance. "We own you, you lowlife. Know your place and do your fucking job!"

"One question." Richard retorted. "Where did you get that car?"

"What does it matter to you?" Ayako said, a murderous undertone to her voice.

"Well, if you stole this car from who I think you stole this from, it should be easy for you to figure out why I'm refusing to work on it." Richard said, unfazed.

"Well, I stole it from the weak little cunt who had a dog. We easily pinned her down when I shot that thing dead. She's not gonna be a problem." Ayako said with a confident smile.

At this point, Richard's apprehension turned into outright rage.

 _Kei, you are SO fucked, you know that?_

"Let me get this straight. You stole this '67 Impala from a 'little cunt', and you murdered her dog right in front of her?" Richard continued, his tone cold and biting.

"Yeah. Just another skank I put in her place." Ayako said, smugly.

"Well, in that case, let me be clear about this, Ayako." Richard said, "I'm refusing to service this car, because you are going to die. Very, very soon."

In response, Ayako's expression turned to one of rage, and she drew out her gun. "I've had enough! You're the one who's going to die, old man!"

"Really, Ayako? You're going to shoot me dead, in broad daylight, with witnesses present? I admit your sister has a lot of clout, but even she won't be able to save you from the consequences of this. Not that it matters. You're dead meat, anyway." Richard said, looking her square in the eye.

Ayako hesitated at his words, clearly not having thought this through. She quickly put the gun away. "Nee-san...Kei is going to hear about this." she said, and rushed out of the shop, the rest of her posse following suit.

Richard was fairly confident this would be the last he'd ever see of them.

A few hours later, his phone rang. "Hello?"

"Richard. Kei here. I heard you threatened my sister?" the woman on the other end was polite but curt. Kei Mitsurugi, a consummate professional and genius criminal, if Richard ever knew one. Unlike the dumbass she was related to.

"I'd prefer the term 'warned'." Richard replied.

"Well, what did you warn her about?" Kei asked.

"She came to my shop with a stolen '67 Impala. Said it belonged to a little cunt, and that she murdered her dog."

A pause.

"Oh. Oh shit." Kei said, her polite tone cracking to reveal an utterly terrified and furious woman. "In any case, disregard whatever she may have said to you. Our business will continue as normal." she sputtered out and hung up.

"Appreciate it." Richard said to the dial tone.

* * *

Kei's composure had been completely destroyed after that phone call. She was terrified. She was furious. And she was grieving.

 _Goddamit, Ayako! Out of all people, why did it have to be her?!_

That idiot. That irredeemable idiot may have just destroyed her entire empire. Not to mention her lifelong dream.

If it wasn't for Ayako being her sister, Kei would have personally executed her and hand-delivered the head to Joan's doorstep.

But she was family. Her own sister had just about destroyed everything that was dear to her.

She brushed off a few updates from her lawyer, waiting for her sister to arrive. It was a mistake. She should never have listened to Ayako. She shouldn't have given her any control of her empire.

She was too young. Too naive. Despite being an aggressive fighter and efficient killer, she was only 17, a good ten years younger than Kei. She hadn't grown up. She was too arrogant and impulsive to amount to much. And yet, Kei had made the cardinal mistake of giving her a chance.

Ayako and her friends arrived into the foyer of her mansion before she knew it. Kei promptly had her friends escorted away. She needed to speak with Ayako, alone.

"Nee-san!" Ayako said cheerfully, blissfully unaware of the position she was in.

"Ayako." Kei replied, her tone cold and firm. "I see you were successful with the Los Angeles job."

"I was." Ayako replied with a smile, clearly expecting Kei to show some affection in return for her success.

"I just had a conversation with Richard." Ayako continued in her cold voice. "It seems you and him had an altercation."

"Didn't Jiro tell you? He threatened me, nee-san! He said he was going to kill me! I was just defending myself!" Ayako said, her expression quickly turning furious.

"Is that what you think?" Ayako said.

"What do you mean? Of course that's what happened? Have you punished him, because he-"

A sharp sound cut of her rant, as Ayako realized that she'd just been slapped across the face. By her sister.

"Nee-san?"

Kei responded by slapping her again.

It hurt. It stung her skin of course, but more than that, Ayako couldn't understand. Why was her sister attacking her like this?

"Did I...do someth-AAAH!"

Ayako screamed again as Kei slapped her hard. Tears were beginning to roll down her eyes.

"Nee-san, I'm sorry...I'm..."

Another slap. Ayako was sobbing now.

"I'm sorry...nee-san...please stop!"

"You're pathetic. You still haven't figured out what you really did?!" Kei spoke, her voice dripping with condemnation.

"No...nee-san, please. Just tell me. Tell me what I did wrong!" Ayako said, between her sobs.

"You just ruined someone's life. You broke into her home, stole her car, and murdered her dog." Kei said.

"So what?! She was just a fucking cunt! A nobo-AAAH!" Ayako screamed again as her words were cut short with another, harsh slap.

"A cunt? A nobody? Ayako, it wasn't what you did that disgusts me. It's who you did it to. That little cunt who's life you ruined? Her name is Joan Wick, the best, most reliable killer I have ever worked with!" Kei spat out.

"Huh?" Ayako replied, finally out of things to say.

"Joan Wick and I've had a very strong relationship ever since we grew up together." Kei began. By now, Ayako had realized that she was in way over her head, and so she quietly listened to her sister.

"We were like sisters, you see. More so that you and I, anyway." Kei continued. "We both always had our eyes on each other, as we ascended the ranks of the criminal underworld, bit by bit. It soon became apparent to me that my strengths lay in leadership, in understanding the big picture. So I built up my own empire, and Joan did the dirty work necessary to destroy the competition. See, she was just as deadly as most hitmen out there, likely even more so, but there was something that separated her from them. Something that proved instrumental to our alliance. To our friendship."

Kei paused, pouring herself a drink. "She was not someone only loyal to her next paycheck. She was far too soft for that. The way I kept her loyal to me was compassion. I was kind to her. I cared for her, listened to her problems, hung out with her whenever she needed me. All those gestures of friendship ensured that all the money in the world couldn't get her to turn against me. Despite her reputation, Joan was one of the biggest softies I'd ever known." she paused and chuckled. "Heck, I even fell in love with her at one point. I proposed to her, telling her that if we married each other and spent the rest of our lives together, we would be unstoppable. But she was not interested, and I respected that."

Kei then took a sip and continued, "A few years later, however, she made a decision I had a much harder time accepting. She fell in love, with someone who wasn't me. A man who wanted to pull her out of her job. He wanted a normal life. And so did she, so she tried to resign."

Ayako silently listened to everything her sister was saying, not making a sound.

"Letting go of Joan was like saying goodbye to my trump card. Really, this was never my own empire, this was our empire. And yet, she didn't reciprocate my feelings for her. Instead of being married to her and building a future together with her, I was being told I had to carry on alone. But I was a grateful woman. I did not want to ruin everything we had by acting out of jealousy or spite. So we made a deal. I gave her one final job. It was a job I considered nigh impossible, but if Joan could pull it off, I would have nothing left standing in my way. And she came through. She came through and left me with what I have today." Kei was close to tears now.

"You know, Ayako, when her husband passed away, I was thinking of talking to Joan again. I planned to offer my condolences, to be her friend. I dreamed of a day when I could once again propose to her, and she'd accept me. Then my one dream of ruling this city together with her would finally come true."

She slowly approached her sister. "I never thought that the one who would forever destroy that dream of mine would be you, my own sister."

She did not raise her hand again. She didn't need to. Her words were more than enough to inflict on Ayako the pain she so dearly deserved.

Sure enough, Ayako immediately fell down on her knees, and then lay prostrate before her sister.

"Forgive me, nee-san! Forgive me! I...I'll make this right! I'll finish what I started, so you-"

"Enough!" Kei shouted, shutting her up. "First of all, I know you're not sorry for what you did. You're just sorry because you've upset me. Lie to yourself all you want, Ayako, but you're nothing more that a child desperate to impress her older sister. Second of all, the only thing you can do to make things right is to kill yourself. Would you be able to do that? To pay for the dishonor you've inflicted on Joan and me with your life?"

"Nee-san..." Ayako said, her voice trembling.

"I thought so. Then the only choices you have, are to either die by Joan's hand, or have Joan die by ours." Kei said.

"Nee-san...?" Ayako said, slowly getting back up.

"I am going to have to figure out a plan for this. Joan is not going to be an easy enemy to-" Kei abruptly felt a body pushing against her. No, it wasn't pushing, it was embracing her.

"Thank you, nee-san! Thank you!" Ayako said while crying into her sister's chest. "I love you, nee-san! Thank you for protecting me!"

Kei's expression softened. "Of course I'll protect you, Ayako. You're family, after all. Even if I have to forsake my dreams, it still wouldn't hurt as much as forsaking you."

She gently returned Ayako's embrace, and caressed her hair.

"Nee-san, I love you." Ayako repeated, still sobbing.

After a few minutes, Kei spoke up. "You must be tired, right Ayako? Come on, go get some rest. I'll take care of everything."

"Thank you so much, nee-san." Ayako said, as her sobbing ceased and she pulled away from her sister. Kei gave her a warm, loving smile, which Ayako returned with her own, and soon afterwards, Ayako left for her room, leaving Kei by herself.


	5. Chapter 5

"HYAA!" Joan screamed as she smashed her hammer onto the floor.

She'd gone so far. So far to get away from it all. And yet, she had been crossed. The hope he'd given her had been murdered, right in front of her eyes.

"AAAAAAAAH!" she screamed as the hammer hit the floor again.

She had always feared such a day would come. When someone would try to destroy the future she'd built with him. When the peace she'd been blessed with would be robbed from her.

"HYAAA!"

But it had all happened so soon. The cancer. The grieving. Cindy, who was only of the only remnants of the time they'd spent together. And that monster who killed her right in front of Joan's eyes.

Fate had chosen to be cruel to her. That could not be helped. That could not be undone.

The only thing Joan could do was to decide how to react to it.

"AAAAARGH!"

The final strike broke open the seal. Under the seal were the remnants of her past. The few trinkets she had chosen to hold on to, lest she ever felt the need to awaken the beast within her again.

Lest a day such as today ever arrive.

A few hours earlier, she'd been to Richards, still mulling over the decision she had to make. He'd told her everything. The woman who'd robbed her was Ayako Mitsurugi, sister of her old friend and employer Kei Mitsurugi. Ayako had pulled a gun on him when he bluntly told her her impending fate. And Kei had decided to keep doing business with him despite the threat he had made. Because she knew.

Kei was a smart woman. A kind woman. A woman who knew better than to cross the ones close to her. It was a shame that her sister was the exact opposite.

Joan finally cleared off all the debris, and unlocked the door to her long hidden armory. Just then, her phone rang.

Recognizing the caller on her CallerID, she picked it up.

"Hello? Joan?" Kei Mitsurugi's voice rang out.

"Kei." Joan replied.

"Uh...listen." Kei began. "I...I haven't really been in touch with you as much as I should've been, and I'm sorry about that. I really wanted to spend some more time with you after Michael's death, but um..."

Joan said nothing.

"Anyway, I let a lot of time go to waste. Even after you turned me down, Joan, I've...I've waited for you. Before everything happened, I wanted to try again."

Joan's mind wasn't clouded enough to perceive his as manipulation. Kei was being sincere. She was confessing all of her true feelings over the phone, because she knew this would likely be her last chance.

"As you probably know by now, the one who robbed you and killed your dog was my sister. Believe me, I know how much the dog meant to you. Her name was Cindy, right?"

Joan kept silent.

"But she's my sister, Joan. I really, really don't want any more unnecessary bloodshed. If we can just sort this out like civilized-"

"One question." Joan said, cutting Kei off.

"Yes, Joan?"

"If someone destroyed what was dear to you right in front of your eyes, would you even try to be civilized with them? Would you even consider showing them mercy?"

A pause followed the question. And then, Joan could hear weeping.

"Damn it! Damn it, goddamit!" Kei said, between her sobs. "Goddamit, fuck, FUCK!"

The cries continued. Even though she was only crying through the phone, Joan could hear her wails reverberating throughout.

"I'm sorry, Joan." Kei said, her tone still tearful, not even trying to feign composure. "I'm so fucking sorry!"

"I'm sorry too." Joan said, her tone even but filled with regret. "This is the second time I've rejected you."

"Oh, Joan. Oh..." Kei's words once again gave way to sobs. And then, a few seconds later, "Goodbye."

Joan hung up as soon as she heard the dial tone.

* * *

"Mitsurugi-san?" a man's voice spoke out even as she continued to cry.

He did not speak again. Not until a good twenty minutes later, when her sobs finally subsided.

"Yes, Takayama." Kei said, not bothering with tempering her voice.

"What should we do now?" he said, bluntly.

"Prepare a crew. We knew where Joan lives, right?" Kei replied.

"How many should I take?" Takayama said.

"All you can spare." Kei replied.

* * *

Joan didn't take long to finalize her loadout. Her trusted Beretta and Desert Eagle would suffice for the invaders who were doubtless approaching. For good measure, she'd also pocketed her trusty survival knife.

It didn't take long for the sounds of footsteps to echo throughout her house. Heck, it wouldn't surprise her if the boutique she ran had been destroyed for good measure.

She took a deep breath, suppressed her emotions, and went upstairs.

There were numerous gunmen combing her condo, equipped with a flashlight and handgun. Joan had, of course, taken measures to beef up security after Ayako's robbery, but these were professionals in her sister's employ. People Joan had personally hired and vetted in the past.

Indeed, their movements made her suspect they were a part of Takayama's team. Kei had already sent out her best offensive team to deal with Joan, as she'd expected her to.

Joan could also hear both male and female voices communicating with each other as they marked each room as "clear". Joan was secretly glad to see that her hiring practices were still equal opportunity, even if she was about to kill them all.

Sneaking into the kitchen, Joan found a good vantage point, where she could see the people coming and going without being easily noticed herself. She had seen it being marked clear before.

"I wonder why we can't just burn this place down?" Joan heard one of the masked women say.

"Thoroughness. Setting the house on fire would severely limit our chances of confirming the target's death, since emergency services would soon be on the scene. Of course, if Joan isn't here, we will torch this place, like we did with her boutique." another woman replied.

"Ah, yeah, that makes sense. Sorry for bothering you." the first woman said.

"It's alright, asking questions clears up the mind. Makes it easier to focus." the second woman said, and they became silent again as they resumed their search.

Perhaps years of serving as successful killers had made this team a little complacent. Joan didn't blame them. After all, these were basically a team of her own students out to hunt her down. They likely thought that they would be able to detect and predict the movements of an instructor who'd worked alongside them for years.

Though Joan wasn't going to take much longer to prove them wrong.

A pair of gunmen went though the kitchen in order to access the east wing of the condo. The moment they approached her line of sight, Joan pulled out her Beretta, and pulled the rigger.

A couple of gunshots later, both lay limp on the floor, their blood pooling.

"Did you hear that?" a man yelled. "She's here!"

The footsteps intensified, and Joan made way for another place to hide. On the way, however, she was spotted by a pair of gunmen, and had to open fire before they could react. One of them fell down instantly, the other limped back as her fired.

"Shit!" Joan said as she found some cover.

"I found her! I foun-"

He was promptly silenced by her gun before he could say anything else. Unfortunately, the damage was done.

A horde of people converged on her position, forcing her to run and gun them while avoiding any stray bullets. Her adrenaline pumped up and slowed her perception of time, allowing her to land a clean hit every time she popped out of cover. In a matter of seconds, she had eliminated all the people converging on her location.

She quickly turned around, just in time to dispatch a gunman who'd attempted to sneak up on her. She then successfully landed a hit on a woman who'd popped into her line of sight, and it appeared as though the entire invading crew had been eliminated.


End file.
